Samoa vs Tonga showed what the future of rugby league could be

Samoa's win over Tonga is a good advertisement for rugby league. The sport is set up to create snackable content. It's a marketing ploy to sell the sport as authentic. Samoa vs TongA was fast, tough, skillful and dramatic. It was diverse, respectful, egalitarian and modern. Rugby League is what Origin is, but it hasn't been for about ten years. Super League has marketed on tough Northern blokes do exceptional things for decades. They lean in. NRL has run through the players being simply the best, the fans declaring what their team was and direct appeals to authenticity as a concept.

Samoa vs Tonga was great. International Rugby League would like to see more international matches. The NRL owns player contracts and they would love the Australian authorities to back the concept. There is nothing in the diary for next year. There are games like yesterday's. It's the product at its best.